Jeep Banks On An All-New Wrangler To Keep Fans

David Kiley
, ContributorProviding insights and news about the global auto business.Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

FCA North America

All-new 2018 Jeep® Wrangler Sahara

The all-new 2018 Jeep Wrangler is almost here. And getting the iconic 4x4 right is key for parent company FCA’s goal of expanding the Jeep brand globally.

There are changes that will be judged and assessed by the Wrangler’s legions of hardcore fans the world over. Here are some of the main ones:

The doors on the Wrangler lift out and actually have handles now so drivers do not drop them when removing. There will be half-doors offered by 2019. Non Wrangler owners may not know, but doors, believe it or not, weren’t standard on the Jeep until the 1980s–that’s because it was always seen as a recreational vehicle until the SUV craze in the U.S. created a real market for the Wrangler as a city and suburban principal vehicle.

The windshield folds down with the simple turn of four bolts and takes only a few minutes. The old JK’s windshield was unwieldy to drop with a shocking 28 bolts that took 90-minutes plus to undo.

Despite the bad name that diesel vehicles have gotten because of the Volkswagen diesel scandal, Jeep will debut an EcoDiesel for 2019. With more competition in the marketplace for Wrangler, the diesel could helps shore up sales to the tune of 10,000-15,000 units a year. Consumers who will buy a diesel Jeep Wrangler won’t be swayed by the Volkswagen scandal, because they know that the problem was unique to VW. The Jeep diesel engine will produce 260 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, and Wrangler fans love excess torque.

A 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine will be offered, and it is technically a “mild hybrid.” Jeep calls this eTorque, and it provides electric power assist generated in part from brake energy regeneration, as well as start-stop tech.

There has been speculation and even a bit of “fake news” about Jeep moving production from its sprawling Toledo, Ohio complex. Yes, FCA will make some Jeeps overseas—for overseas markets. But the North American Jeep will continue to be built in Toledo and the new version will still be body-on-frame, and not unibody construction like some of the other Jeeps are like Renegade and Cherokee.

There is extensive use of aluminum in the new Jeep, which will make it lighter weight and thus more fuel efficient for on-road driving than the current gas eater. The Eco-Diesel, mated to this lighter Jeep should pay some dividends in fuel economy as diesel engines are typically 25%-35% better on fuel economy than traditional internal combustion engines, though diesel fuel is often more expensive than regular petrol.

The trim levels of the new Wrangler will stay the same – Sport, Sport S, Rubicon, Unlimited, Sahara. And there will likely be some new trims.

There are “easter eggs” in the new design. A new badge on the swing gate pays homage to the Jeep Willys for the 75th anniversary of World War II, for which the Jeep Willys was created.

FCA's fortunes ride on the Jeep brand, by far the most profitable line in the company's stable. And the Wrangler is key to setting the tone and credibility of the whole Jeep brand. So goes Wrangler, so goes the brand.

David Kiley covers the global auto industry for Forbes.com and Automobile Magazine. He is co-author of the 2015 book: Writing The War: Chronicles of a WWII Correspondent. Prometheus Books.